Music News

John Russell/CMACarrie Underwood can now officially add “rapper” to her list of skills. Sunday at the Big Barrel Country Music Festival in Dover, Delaware, she delivered both WizKhalifa’s rap from the hit “See You Again,” and also covered the vocals contributed by Charlie Puth.

The tune was part of a mashup that included Carrie’s own hit by the same name from 2013. The Wiz Khalifa track is a tribute to the late actor Paul Walker from the Furious 7 movie soundtrack.

Kenny ChesneyKenny Chesney is donating proceeds from his line of Costa Del Mar sunglasses to the Coastal Conservation Association, and he recently got to visit the two man-made reefs built with those funds in Jacksonville, Florida. The two structures were built in just two weeks in the city’s St. John River using 1,300 tons of concrete. In the 18 months since they were built, Kenny says the reefs are “thriving with life.”

“What they were able to create here says a lot about the ways man can live not just in harmony, but supporting our natural aquatic resources,” Kenny says. “Beyond clean water, it is about supporting healthy marine life… and that includes being aware of the impact of erosion under the water.”

Kenny goes on to thank the University of Jacksonville for its help in making the man-made reefs a reality.

Danny Clinch/Southern Ground/Varvatos/BMLGZacBrown Band received an assist from football star J.J. Watt when a fan popped up on stage during a performance over the weekend.

ESPN.com reports a fan jumped on stage and danced during the band’s appearance at Summerfest in Milwaukee Sunday night. That’s when Watt, a star defensive end with the Houston Texans who’s a native of Wisconsin, swooped in and tackled the fan. He tweeted a video of the moment.

ESPN.com notes that the whole thing was likely staged. Zac Brown Band continues their tour Friday in Denver.

Mercury NashvilleEaston Corbin‘s third album, About to Get Real, is out this week featuring the lead single, “Baby Be My Love Song.” That track does a good job of updating Easton’s sound while staying true to his traditional country roots, and Easton keeps up that balancing act throughout the new album. That nod to tradition is a key ingredient in Easton’s ongoing success.

“I have a lot of fans out there that tell me they appreciate me being true to who I am and keeping that traditional country flavor in there,” Easton tells ABC Radio, “and I think that’s very important, ’cause that’s who I am. It really is.”

While staying true to himself, Easton also worked to push himself on About to Get Real by experimenting with new sounds he’d never explored before.

He adds, “I think that you have to be fresh, and you’ve got to keep your sound fresh, and you’ve got to push the envelope. I think that’s healthy, but you’ve got to keep that element of who you are in your music.”

As for the album title, Easton chose to name it for a song on the project because, he says, “It just sounds good as an album title.” He describes the title cut by saying, “The song really reminds me of a modern-day Conway Twitty song.”

Look for Easton to perform “Baby Be My Love Song” on NBC’s Today on Tuesday followed by another performance on Fox News’s Fox & Friends on Wednesday. Getting up early two days in a row is rare for Easton, who is used to going on stage at night. So, how does he deal with those early morning call times?

“Well, usually you just don’t go to bed. You know, if you’re a country music singer you just stay up. You’re still drunk,” Easton says with a smile. “No, I’m joking. I’m totally joking. No, you better go to bed early.”

Easton is also performing a pregame concert at Citi Field Tuesday night before the New York Mets take on the Chicago Cubs.

Pearl RecordsGarth Brooks‘ return to the concert trail has been very good for his bank account. Garth pulled in an estimated $90 million between June 2014 and June 2015 to take the #6 slot on Forbes‘ list of the World’s 100 Top-Earning Celebrities. Taylor Swift is #8 earning $80 million.

Toby Keith is the next country act on the list at #32 with an estimated $53 million coming in. Jason Aldean ranks at #47 with an estimated $43.5 million, and Luke Bryan sits at #48 with $42.5 million earned. Kenny Chesney ranks at #49 with a $42 million payday. Tim McGraw is 58th on the list with $38 million, and Florida Georgia Line ranks at #61 with $36.5 million. At #73, it’s the Zac Brown Band with $32 million coming in. Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton each earned $28.5 million to tie at #95 on the list.

Boxer Floyd Mayweather tops the list with $300 million earned in the last year.

Valory Music Co.Thomas Rhett will release his sophomore album, Tangled Up, on September 25 featuring the lead single, “Crash and Burn.” As you can hear in that R&B-influenced song, Thomas has expanded his range of musical influences in the past two years while working on Tangled Up.

He says, “The title, Tangled Up, comes from a lyric in one of the new songs, and I think it’s a cool way to point to all the different influences that I have as an artist and a songwriter — from soul and R&B to old school country to rock and everything in between. They are all in this record!”

“Crash and Burn” is on its way to the top 10 at country radio, but Thomas admits he was terrified about putting out such a different-sounding song. His dad, songwriter Rhett Akins, had some good advice for him as got ready to release it to radio.

Thomas tells ABC Radio, “My dad told me that, when I put it out, he goes, ‘I think the song’s a hit. Just prepare to be hated for about two weeks.’ And he was totally right. When you do something different, people hate it until they don’t.”

So far, “Crash and Burn” has been selling better than any of Thomas’s previous singles.

He adds, “Somebody likes it, and I love it, and that’s really all that matters.”

You can get involved in Thomas’s creative process for Tangled Up by helping him choose the album cover. Four possible designs are now live at ThomasRhett.com, and it’s up to you to vote for your favorite. The winning cover will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Webster PRDue to popular demand, Dolly Parton has added a second show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium coming up August 1. The first concert on July 31 sold out very quickly after tickets went on sale earlier this month.

While proceeds from the original show are going to Nashville’s W.O. Smith School of Music, Dolly is donating funds from the August 1 to the Opry Trust Fund. Dolly has been a Grand Ole Opry member since 1969, and she wanted to give back to the institution that has means so much to her.

Dolly says, “It’s important to me to be able to do a concert for the Opry Trust Fund as so many of my old Opry friends have benefited from it through the years. The money raised will go to help fund the medical needs and hospitalization for those who are not able to afford it and need the help. I am proud to be of help in any way.”

Tickets for Dolly’s August 31 concert at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium go on sale Thursday, July 2 at Ticketmaster.com and Ryman.com.

Events

The American Cancer Society Cattle Baron’s Ball is a unique event that is held under the evening sky of the Kansas prairie. Distinguished guests from across Northeast Kansas come together to celebrate the progress we have made in the fight more

Calling all Red Dirt Fans!!! Nestled on the banks of the Illinois River at the Diamondhead Resort in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this three-day jubilee is a true “Red Dirt” reunion, and the only of its kind. Medicine Stone happens September 24th-26th. more